


S.Corps Tattoo Parlor

by citri_nate



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Developing Relationship, Drinking, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Piercer Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Piercings, Pre-Relationship, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Tattoo Artist Petra Ral, Tattoos, rivetra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:47:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29610324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/citri_nate/pseuds/citri_nate
Summary: Levi runs an S. Corps Tattoo parlor with his squad of best people. Petra is the new addition to them, and although they're both trying to hide it, there is a spark between them."To be honest, his session was the only thing in her head since the day started anyway. Wearing a shirt that smelled just like him didn’t help either. It was hard to focus, and she knew exactly why, though she didn’t want to admit it to herself since it felt...inappropriate."
Relationships: Levi Ackerman/Petra Ral
Comments: 65
Kudos: 70





	1. Last Days of Summer

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! 
> 
> This is my first fic, and I'm not a native English speaker so sorry for any mistakes!  
> My friend was kind enough to check it for me, so it should be ok :D
> 
> Enjoy!

It was nearly the end of her working hours when she took a last peek into her next day schedule and got surprised by the name of her boss at the end of it. Feeling a little confused, she put the list back on the desk and headed out to the other side of the studio. It was weird, she thought, he was one of the best tattoo artists she had a chance to meet and, as far as she knew, he was not fond of letting others put anything on his skin, especially something so permanent. So far, the only exceptions were her co-worker Gunther and a man who had worked here even before them, Erwin.

"Levi?" she said, raising her voice a bit to bring his attention to her.

He was dusting the shelves of his workplace at the moment while listening to something on his earphones. He took one out and looked at her over his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Are you-" she started but quickly went silent for a moment thinking how stupid this question will sound. Anyway, she was tired after the day, so she decided to just get it over with. "Are you the Levi Ackerman from my appointment list for tomorrow?"

"What" he asked, or said, it was hard to tell considering the tone of his voice. The look on his face was clearly confused and a bit irritated. She thought he looked adorable making that face, so she smiled, suddenly feeling silly.  
"Your name is in my schedule" she corrected coming closer and stopped at his side.

"Of course it is, I wrote it there. How many Levi Ackermans do you think live in this city?" he responded and sighed, coming back to make sure that the shelf was spotless.

Petra felt a sudden rush of adrenaline at his simple statement. An excited blush rose on her face, but she composed herself not to let him know how big of a deal it was for her. After all, he was basically her idol, even the fact that she got to work at his studio was like a dream. But now he wanted her to tattoo him, and it was something she never even had the guts to think of.

"But we didn't even have a chance to talk about the project." she pointed out, raising a hand to fix the pin in her hair.

"Whatever, I just need to close the gap on the sleeve, it's pissing me off. Just pick something that will match."

Her eyes widened looking at his never changing expression. "But...are you sure? Why won't you just fill it yourself?"

The look he sent her made her smile awkwardly. It was like he was asking her why she made it difficult for no reason. Of course, he didn't care about the projects as much at this point. He had some sentimental tattoos, but the more he got, the less he cared about their meaning. He just wanted it to satisfy his artistic vision. It was actually pretty normal, she already was at that point as well, though it was still crazy for her that he'd let her pick.

Not waiting for him to answer, she continued. "I'll think about it." she assured with a big smile. "Maybe I should sign myself up for some new piercing to you too" she laughed lightly on her way back.

Levi looked after her as she disappeared behind the break room doors. He knew it was unusual. The last thing he would do was to acknowledge it out loud. Petra was still a very new addition to their group, working with them for only 6 months, considering that the rest of them were there for years now.

There was something about her art style that brought a completely new view and possibilities for their clients. It was sharp and confident. Always the perfect line.

But if he had to be really honest with himself, it wasn't the reason he had picked her. However, he was pushing that thought far far away in his mind.

***

It was an unusual day. Levi woke up feeling...pretty good. It was not normal, for sure. He grunted sitting up on his bed and looked through the window. The sun rays were giving him a full display on the little dust particles flowing in the air of his room. He frowned and looked away. As the blank spot on his forearm caught his attention, he raised his other hand and caressed it with his fingers. Most of his skin was covered with various designs, most of them tattooed by his own hands. It was the last free place that was visible for others during the day, excluding his face, of course, and a part of his neck. 

The spot was surrounded by the images of silver blades and slashes, green flags with the symbol that became the logo of his tattoo parlor. He remembered that getting the idea of this design was weirdly exciting, inspiring. He couldn’t recall what was the reason by now. At least it still looked good. 

As he finally got up, he decided to get a quick shower and 15 minutes later he was heading downstairs to the studio in fresh clothes. 

He stopped in his tracks hearing voices from the bottom of the stairs. What hour was it, anyway? He made his way into the break room to see Eld, who was their manager right now, and his old friend Hange.

“Didn’t know you’ve become such a sleepyhead, shorty!” They welcomed him loudly.

“I think it’s the first time I actually came here before you, captain” added Eld jokingly. His coworkers liked to call him that for some reason. Gunther once stated that it was because of his cold attitude. 

They were sitting at the table, sipping coffee. The clock above the door showed 9AM.  
Levi furrowed his brows for a moment. Was it a beginning of an illness making him sleep this long? He felt fine. 

“What are you doing here, four-eyes?” was the only thing he said on his way to the counter. He needed some strong black tea. 

***

Petra burst into the studio with coffee in her hand. It was half past 10 already. The weather went from a calm and sunny morning into heavy rain in a span of an hour, and she was definitely not prepared for that. Her clothes were soaking wet. 

“I’m so sorry!” she said loudly seeing her first client sitting at the coffee table with Eld. She was late for her first session at 10AM.

Levi was watching her from behind the counter while the waiting girl was assuring Petra that it’s ok, and that she understands. 

“I see that the rain did not stop you from dropping by the coffee shop, hm?” he noticed when she was walking past him to the break room to get ready for work. She looked at him with a worried expression.

“I was hiding, I thought it would pass sooner” she said quickly looking away from him and disappearing behind the door. 

It left him feeling a bit uneasy. Usually she was pretty unbothered by his comments and responded with one of her adorable smiles. 

Petra heard that someone opened the door but when she looked back, it was already closed again. She brushed it off and came back to clipping pins into her hair. 

Just when she was ready to go, her boss entered the room. Without a word he handed her a black shirt. She looked at him surprised and after a moment of hesitation took it from him. 

“You’re all wet, I don’t want you to get sick.” he only said and went back.

She stood there for a moment with a blush rising to her face. 

***

It was late afternoon when Petra came back from her dinner break and started preparing her stuff for the tattoo session with Levi. 

Gunther, Eld and Auruo already went home, but as she was late today, she had to stay longer. Fortunately Levi agreed to postpone his appointment to the end of the day, so she would be able to be on time with other clients. 

To be honest, his session was the only thing in her head since the day started anyway. Wearing a shirt that smelled just like him didn’t help either. It was hard to focus, and she knew exactly why, though she didn’t want to admit it to herself since it felt...inappropriate.

She didn’t really see much of him that day. He was spending most of his time at the other part of the studio. She sent him a welcoming smile as he finally emerged to sit on the chair next to her. She wondered if it was obvious how excited she was. 

“Let’s see what you’ve got.” he sighed waiting for her to show him the project. 

Petra reached for her iPad and showed him the drawing. She was proud of it, but still nervous if it met his standards. His expression didn’t change, so she couldn’t tell. He took the device from her hands to take a closer look. 

It was a floral pattern painted in the colors of autumn. Shades of brown and orange that perfectly fit the greens and silvers of his own tattoos. Around it was a quick sketch of those as well. She hoped that he didn’t find it creepy that she remembered them. 

Levi looked up at her. “It isn’t really what I expected, but it will do.” he said and restrained a smile that was forming on his face at the sight of her joy. She must have had some crazy power to make him feel this way. 

“Thanks, I thought something like this would be a good balance to all the harshness that’s going on around here” she explained and took the device back to print the design. 

A few moments later she came back with a single page of tracing paper and disinfectant. She sat on the stool next to him and started matching the pattern to his forearm. 

Levi could tell she spared extra attention for this piece, as usually she was definitely more talkative with her clients. The silence never bothered him, so he just watched her work. He was so used to the feeling of the needles that he didn’t even flinch when they met his skin. 

Instead, he looked up at her face. Petra was frowning, an unusual sight for him. It was kind of amusing.

“So...” he started and her face relaxed at the sound of his voice. “What happened?”

She looked up at him surprised, stopping her work for a moment. 

“What?”

“You’re never late. You’re always at least thirty minutes before your first session to make sure that everyone has a good mood in the morning.”

Petra’s face flushed a little. It was true, in fact, she liked taking care of them and their morning drinks from the nearest coffee shop. It was her ritual, making sure others are happy, so she could spend her day in a good atmosphere. It was embarrassing that he had noticed. 

“Well…” she looked away and quickly moved her attention back to his arm. “I couldn’t really sleep last night.”

“And why is that?” 

The frown was back on her face but only for a moment. 

“I was...occupied. And before I even noticed it was almost 4 in the morning.” she responded lightly. 

“What were you doing?” he asked directly, and she could feel he was still observing her.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Well, it was at least less embarrassing than what it could have been. 

“You know, I was working on some projects, I-”

“This project?”

“This project.” she answered right away and put her lips in a thin line.

She looked at him startled when he leaned into her tilted head. 

“Dark circles do not really suit you, Petra.” he said looking her in the eyes. 

After a short moment of silence she cleared her throat and she let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. 

“You’re the one to talk.” she said softer than she intended and caught a slight smirk on his face before he moved away. 

***

They spent most of the session talking casually about the upcoming tattoo convention. Levi told her that Hange came this morning saying that one of the big names cancelled their participation, and they needed someone to cover for them ASAP. Petra was supposed to be that cover apparently. Lately she became their main person to handle the social part of the business as she was the only one who actually enjoyed it. 

She straightened herself and looked at the swollen skin around the tattoo in progress. It was taking a lot of time to fill the whole part in colors. She noticed that his hand twitched a bit when she cleaned it with a firm wipe, though his face didn’t show any sign of pain. 

“Ok, I think we are done for today.” she said with a smile. 

“Are you tired?” he asked, sending her a questioning look. 

“No, but your skin definitely is.”

“It’s not a problem.”

“It’s red and swollen, I don’t want to hurt you.” she stated with a frown, her smile disappearing. 

“I can take it, Ral.” he assured her and their eyes met. She narrowed her eyes. 

“Ackerman.” she responded with a pout on her face.

“Will you disobey your bosses orders?”

“Oh? What kind of abuse of power is it?” she asked barely restraining a smile, and he could tell. 

He was looking at her a bit too long before he responded. “Ok.” he finally said and raised his arm closer to his face to take a closer look at it. Spending another afternoon with her alone wasn’t such a bad idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> After consulting the last part with my sister who is an actual tattoo artist, it looks like Levi has just a really low pain threshold...well, let's just pretend that's normal. 
> 
> Here is my fan art that started the idea of the AU :D  
> https://citri-nate.tumblr.com/post/643220601462521856/rivetra-modern-au-in-which-levi-owns-a


	2. Idols

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On her way to a Tattoo Convention, Petra is recalling the first time she met her current coworkers. 
> 
> "“Oi, girl, careful there.” she heard after a while but ignored it as she didn’t think it had anything to do with her. She was looking at this beautiful girl with long dark hair. She tried to figure out what the tattooed patterns on her bare arm were. She leaned out a bit more. "

Petra remembered clearly her last time at such a big convention. It’s not just any event when you meet not only your biggest idol but also a role model for the first time.

It was hard to believe that it was only a few months before. 

She was not popular enough to get her own stall in the hall with all the artists, but she still wanted to participate. After all, she was still a big fan of a lot of the people who were there that day. If not for the expensive prices, she would let them tattoo every piece of her body. Unfortunately, she could afford only one. 

Deciding on where to get it was pretty easy. With a map of the halls in hands, she was wandering in the crowd of people, looking for the banner of S.Corps Tattoo Parlor. Her heartbeat quickened when she saw the logo of black and white wings from afar. She rushed in that direction without hesitation. 

\---

It’s been at least 20 minutes since she took her place in a queue to the appointment list. It started to worry her. It looked like she was not the only one excited about them being here. It was rare to see them anywhere other than their studio, since they didn’t really need to make that effort in order to maintain their fame. 

At least she could watch them work. Two tall men, Gunther and Eld, as far as she remembered from their Instagram posts, were currently working on two separate tattoos on some tough looking blonde girl. 

She looked around, a guy named Auruo was helping people pick from available designs. There were also sign-ups for commissioned projects to be done the next day.  
There was no sight of their fourth member. She let out a soft sigh. Of course Levi, their founder and boss, wouldn’t be there. Rumors said that being able to book an appointment for a tattoo to him was like a miracle. He took only the project he personally found interesting and the prices...well, his masterwork was definitely worth any amount, at least to her. 

When it was finally her turn, the straw haired man smiled nonchalantly. 

\---

She was bummed when she heard that their schedule was already full for that day. She was able to at least book a session for tomorrow, after they’ll be done with all the commissioned designs. 

“Petra!” 

She turned at the sound of her name and saw a friend she made in the train on her way there. Her frown disappeared immediately and was replaced by a wide smile.

“Hange!” she only said before they embraced her with a tight hug. It didn’t really bother her, Hange was the sweetest person she had a chance to meet. They had such a good(and chaotic) vibe to them.

“I’m so glad I ran into you!” they said loudly and straightened themselves. “I can’t believe I forgot to get your number.”

Petra laughed flushing a bit because of their height difference. She found them pretty charming. 

\---

They spent most of the day together walking around and checking different artists before Hange had to go back to their work as one of the staff at the event. They agreed to meet at the small after party at 8PM. 

When she arrived, Petra was surprised to find that the party was mostly for convention exhibitors. Getting in was pretty easy when you were with someone as important as Hange. 

It didn’t change the fact that at first, Petra felt intimidated by all the big names around her. Fortunately, the liquor quickly took care of that. After some time, she excused herself from the group of people she was talking with, and went out onto a big balcony to get some fresh air. 

“You know that you can change the “S” in the name now, right?”

“Tsk.”

She heard two men's voices but didn’t pay much attention to them. She walked to the railing and leaned on it to look at the few people in the garden below. 

“Oi, girl, careful there.” she heard after a while but ignored it as she didn’t think it had anything to do with her. She was looking at this beautiful girl with long dark hair. She tried to figure out what the tattooed patterns on her bare arm were. She leaned out a bit more. 

“Oi!” this time the voice was louder and closer, and then before she could react, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She lurched and squealed, surprised when her back hit something hard. She looked over to discover it wasn’t actually something but rather someone. He was a tall blonde man. He had a concerned look on his face, but he was smiling. His thick eyebrows were something that caught her attention more than his expression. 

She discovered then that the hand that just left her shoulder belonged to someone else. A much younger looking, dark haired man sent her an irritated look. He was much shorter, actually, barely taller than her. 

The confusion must have been written all over her face.

“If you’re this drunk just go to your hotel room or something.”

“Huh?!” she could only express looking from one stranger to another. 

“You were about to fall.” explained the blonde one. “Let’s sit down.” he proposed.

After a short moment of hesitation she followed them to the bench they were sitting on before.

“I’ll bring some water.” the same man added. Petra noticed the confidence he was carrying himself with as he walked back inside. 

She sat in the middle of the bench and looked up at the sky. Yeah, maybe she indeed drank a bit too much. The stars probably shouldn't spin like that. 

Her attention was caught by the movement of the short man sitting at her right. He was lighting up a cigarette which made Petra wrinkle her nose. He wasn’t really paying attention to her. That’s why he was startled when she suddenly gasped and got closer to point at the tattoo on his arm. 

“Oh my god!” she said loudly and went silent for a moment just looking at it. “This is Levi's work, right?! He’s my favorite artist, how did you manage to get that?”

She looked up to meet his rather grumpy expression. He raised an eyebrow and brought his attention back to the cigarette. 

“I guess I was just lucky.” he said and smiled for a short moment. 

She blinked at his sudden change of expression and got back to appreciating the art on his arm. “I think you don’t realize how much.” she huffed and turned his arm to see more of it, pleased that he let her. 

“Uh…this is so unfair.” she murmured, and he looked at her yet again. 

“And who made those?” he asked pointing at her leg. 

She leaned forward to take a look. “This one’s mine.” she replied with a wide smile and raised her leg to put it on the bench. “You see, when you’re broke, it’s much easier to just do stuff by yourself.” she explained jokingly, showing the tattoo to him. 

“It was one of the first I did on myself actually. I think I got a lot better by now.” she said with confidence while her new acquaintance leaned in to judge it. 

The other one just got back with a glass of water. “Oh, am I interrupting something?” he asked with a teasing smile. In that moment Petra realized how high her shorts pulled up because of the position she was in. 

The Dark haired men snorted and leaned back. 

She fixed herself and took the water he had handed her. 

“Thanks” she said embarrassed and took a quick look at the other man. He got back to smoking, but she caught his glance and quickly averted her own. She took a sip of water as they opened their new beer bottles.

\---

They were discussing their favorite tattoo art styles for quite some time when Hange finally found them at the balcony. 

“Oh! Here is my plus one!” they said happily, approaching them. “You guys should’ve told me you wanted to share that small sweetie!”

“Hey!” Petra laughed, unable to pretend that it bothered her. “It’s you who left me with strangers, I swear, you know everyone here.” she said with a smile. She was in a great mood, still tipsy but sitting in one place definitely helped. She already wanted to get another drink, but when she had suggested it, they stopped her. 

“That’s kinda my job.” Hange pointed out.

“So, you’re one of the exhibitors here?” asked the shorter man at this new revelation. 

Petra looked at him with a surprised look. He was mostly passive during the conversation they were just having. Only listening and sometimes adding some points between hers and blonde man’s drunk blabbering. She had a feeling he was watching her a lot, but she convinced herself that it was only because she felt intimidated by his behavior. 

“What? Hah, no, no way.” she said quickly, but it flattered her ego nevertheless.

“Well, you definitely won’t make it with this attitude.” he stated looking her in the eyes with his never-changing cold gaze.

A moment of silence fell between them. Not that his friends were surprised, it’s just that he always said stuff like that in the most unexpected moments. 

“You know what…” Petra quickly started and straightened the way she was sitting to look directly at him. She didn’t want anyone interfering or protecting her from that situation. “You’re right.” she said with a firm tone, making the other two look at them as well. 

“I think... I think that actually I deserve my own stall here!” she could feel the blush coming to her face but continued. “My work is good enough, I know it. I will make it one day.”

The man she was facing lowered his eyelids and took a sip of his beer. 

“I might actually believe you.” 

Right after he finished his sentence Hange came closer to the bench, laughing loudly. They were proud of her response. 

“That’s my Petra!” they said patting her head just a little too hard. 

Petra smiled at them and put her hand in the same spot on her head. 

\---

It was nearly 3AM when Petra reached her hotel room. After a quick shower she threw herself on the bed and looked at the ceiling. Surprisingly, she wasn’t very sleepy, just tired. 

In the end, she spent most of the night with her 3 new acquaintances. It was great hanging out with people that had the same amount of obsession on your favorite topic.

She had a chance to learn some things about them too.

Hange showed her all of their 15 tattoos. By the unfazed reactions of the others, she figured it wasn’t something unusual for them. Nevertheless, it was a bit embarrassing to think about it now. 

The tall one, Erwin, as Hange called him, was just starting his own business in the country across the sea. He did not hesitate to tell them everything on how different the life was there and how big his hopes were for success. Listening to his little speech, it was hard not to wish him the best. It was so easy to just believe he will make it. 

As for the third one, she learned the least. He didn’t really open up but definitely was more talkative than he had been previously. The arguing between him and Hange really amused her. It was obvious they were close. At one point Petra showed him some more of her works from her Instagram account, and when he took her phone to go through them, she moved herself closer to him to be able to see what he was looking at. She flushed at the memory of his smell and heat. She internally scolded herself for acting like some stupid teenager and took a deep breath to relax and closed her eyes. 

Just then she realized she never learned what his name was. 

\---

Petra was brutally pulled out from her dream by the loud ringing of her phone. She reached for it with a grunt, not looking who it was. 

“Um...yes?” she asked with a sleepy voice.

“Petra! Listen! We need your help.” she heard a familiar voice. It was Hange. 

“What? Something happened?” the question slipped out automatically. She slowly raised herself to a sitting position.

“It really sucks, Eld got sick, like, really sick, he can’t even leave the bathroom right now, you’re lucky you didn’t see him. He looks like shit.”

“...What?”

Petra was confused, and with the amount of words Hange sprinkled on her, it was hard to understand it in her currernt state. 

“Yeah, anyway, we need someone to fill in for him. I know it’s sudden but, like, you’re the only one Levi’s even considering, and I can’t convince him that if you reject, and he doesn’t let anyone else come, their whole schedule will go to hell and I will have to take care of that.”

There was no response for a couple of long seconds.

“...Petra?”

“You said, who?”

\---

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Petra nearly threw up when she got there and was led right to the stall decorated with the green logo of black and white wings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoho!  
> I can't believe I actually wrote a whole ass two chapters.  
> I still have some more ideas for the future ones :"D
> 
> I know Petra getting the job this way is crazy but yeah, it's a fanfic, they are special snowflakes, that's the point.
> 
> Remember to not let strangers give you drinks at parties! She made a mistake, but she was lucky it was Erwin.  
> Also, if you are getting a tattoo, do not drink alcohol for some time before and after it's done because it might mess the tattoo up!
> 
> Thank you for reading ♥


	3. Casual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is Petra single?”
> 
> “How would I know?” Eld responded looking down at his boss.
> 
> \---  
> Levi and Petra find themselves alone, in the middle of the night.

Petra was looking through the window on her train back home. It was already after midnight. She was tired after a day of hard work, but she preferred to come right back and sleep in her own bed rather than in a hotel room. 

She took out her phone to text Levi. 

“Hi! I’m coming back rn, I forgot something from the studio, is it ok if I come by on my way home? (´ ∀ ` *) ”

She barely had a chance to put the phone down when the screen lit up again.

“sure.” 

She smiled to herself and leaned against her seat. She wasn’t surprised that he was up. Maybe a bit concerned about his well-known sleeping problems. Nevertheless, it was nice to get the reply right away. Little things like that were more important to her than just words. 

\---

Approximately 2 hours later she found herself at the entrance of the studio. It was quite cold, which helped her stay conscious. It took her a while to find the keys. She sneaked right in to shield herself from the wind. 

It was dark, but the streetlights were enough for her to move around in a place she was very familiar with by now. She went to the break room and switched the light on. It took her just a moment to find the folder with documents that she left there.

When she turned around she squealed, spooked by the dark figure in the doorway. 

Levi raised an eyebrow as he heard her loud reaction.

“Is it so unexpected to see me in my own house?” 

Petra held on the nearest chair and let out a tired sigh. 

“I expected you’d be upstairs.” she explained.

“I had to check if it’s not a burglar, you know?”

His tone was casual but when she looked up at him, she felt worried. He looked exhausted. For a moment they were just looking at each other. 

“Are you ok?” she asked quietly and took a step in his direction.

There was a glimpse of confusion on his face before he rubbed his eyes with one hand and sighed. 

“I’m fine.”

“Well, you do not look like you’re ok.”

“Do I ever?” he answered with a clear hint of irritation in his voice. 

At that moment she was done. Her own lack of sleep was cutting short her patience. 

“Honestly, Levi, you’re such a baby, why can’t you just take care of yourself? Just a little?” she responded with the same tone he just used on her. He definitely was not expecting that.

“I know what I’m doing.” he responded in a lower voice. 

“You look dead, you should sleep.”

“I can’t.”

She was looking at him helplessly for a long moment and then averted her eyes to the side. 

“Ok.” she said after the pause and put down the folder from her hands back on the table. “Sit.” she said only and met his questioning look. 

“Sit, I will make you some tea.” she announced and took off her coat on her way to the hanger. 

He didn’t move, he was watching her as she was taking the cups for them, trying to understand why she was doing that. Was he really in such a bad state that she thought he had to be babied? That was just ridiculous. However, she did make the best tea, so he couldn’t really complain. He made his way onto her and stopped just behind her while propping himself on the counter at her sides. 

“You should go home.” he said, and she shuddered at the sound of his voice right next to her ear. 

“It’s fine, I don’t work tomorrow. But you do.” she pointed and stopped her hand mid-air to change the direction and grabbed a container with lemon balm tea instead of his usual black tea. They had quite a collection in there. 

His head felt heavy so he let his forehead lean against her shoulder. She smelled so nice he didn’t really want to move away. 

She froze for a second but then continued to prepare their drinks. They spent some time in silence, both too tired to think about the topic to talk about. It looked like he gave up on sending her home. Not like he really tried. 

He raised his head when he felt her movement. She gave him the mug avoiding his gaze, so he straightened himself and took it.

“Will you sit now?” she asked quietly and sent him a smile. 

“Yeah.” he agreed, enjoying his view before moving back to the table. 

\---

“Petra.” he said and delicately shook her shoulder with a slight frown on his face. 

They were sitting there, sipping their tea while she was telling him about the convention. He could swear that he got distracted by the sunset visible from the window just for a moment and when he looked back, she was lying on the table, asleep with her face buried in her crossed arms. 

“Hey.” he tried a bit louder but all he got from her was a grunt as she moved her head away from him.

He took away his hand and squinted his eyes. After a short sigh Levi stood up and carefully picked her up from the chair. It was surprising to him how light she was. But she was indeed very small, so that made sense. 

She didn’t wake up, but her head slowly fell on his shoulder. He carried her upstairs, trying to ignore the heat of slow breaths he felt on his neck.

After a moment of hesitation, he decided to put her down on his own bed. Normally, he wouldn’t care, but somehow he didn’t want her to sleep on the couch and wake up with a back pain. It would not be a good way to remember his place. He didn’t forget to take off her shoes beforehand and then covered her with a blanket. Crouching beside the bed, he reached out to brush her peachy blonde hair back, uncovering her face. She made a pretty picture to gaze upon. 

He stood up wondering if he was being creepy. It was rare for him to be interested in someone this way. But it didn’t really matter, she was asleep, and he wouldn’t want to burden her with himself. Himself and with all the bullshit he had to deal with when his past haunted him. 

\---

Petra woke up, blinded by the sun. She rolled to the other side and grunted softly feeling hot, too hot. She uncovered herself and stretched slowly before opening her eyes. 

It took her a moment to notice she was not in her room. Her eyes went wide, as she sat up looking around. 

She quickly realized she was still in her clothes from yesterday. No wonder she felt so hot when she slept in a sweater. 

Memories of the night came back to her, and she calmed down. She had never been in his room, but it was easy to figure out this is where she was, by the familiar sight from the window. Just when she felt better - a realization at how embarrassing it was fell on her. 

She got out of the bed suddenly aware of how everything smelled just like him. If she has ever considered she would end up here… it would be in different circumstances.

Just as she exited the room she saw Levi coming up from the stairs. They looked at each other at the same moment. Petra realized that his weird stare had something to do something with her bed hair, and she tried to fix it. She smiled blushing heavily. 

“Um, hi.” she broke the silence, and he finally left the entrance to the room to casually make his way into the kitchenette.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah.” she answered and moved in his direction. “Sorry for the trouble, I don’t know how this happened. It would be fine to just wake me up and put in the taxi or something…”

“Don’t worry about it.” He cut short her apologies. “Your stuff is downstairs, if that’s what you’re looking for.” 

“Oh, that's…” she stopped and nibbled at her lip. He averted his eyes from her. “I don’t think I can just... Did you tell them I’m here?”

His brows furrowed and then he looked at her.

“I don’t think so, I was already busy when they came. Why?”

Petra raised her hand to awkwardly scratch her nape. 

“I mean...they might get the wrong idea.”

“Would that be so bad?” he just asked, clearly not bothered, and handed her a plate with a sandwich on it. She didn’t pay attention to what he was doing, so it was a surprise. 

“Thanks.” she said taking it. She didn’t know how to respond. “Would it be okay if I just stay here until they go home?” she asked quickly trying to hide her embarrassment. 

“Sure. Make yourself at home.”

He left her there and then came back with a clean towel and some clothes. 

“Just take care of yourself.” he said, leaving them on the couch for her. 

She smiled widely, amused but thankful. “I will, thank you.”

\---

Levi came back downstairs feeling more awake than during the whole day. Petra was making him feel way too many things at once. 

Aside from how unbelievably fucking attractive she looked just after she just woke up, it got him thinking why she was so bothered by the idea of their coworkers seeing her leave his apartment. It’s not like they would shame her, and she could always just tell them the truth. 

He didn’t think of it before, but now the idea that maybe she just didn’t want them to even consider the possibility of them together crossed his mind. 

It was a bitter thought. 

He had to admit that he didn’t consider how she could feel about him. As far as he was aware, she was treating him in the same sweet manner as everyone else. She was just like that, sunny, adorable and caring. And he was definitely the worst at showing her how much he appreciated that. 

He would probably have to make a real effort to be even considered as a good match for her.

He stopped in his tracks, irritated by his thoughts. Why did he even think about that?

\---

“Is Petra single?”

“How would I know?” Eld responded looking down at his boss.

They went for a smoke behind the studio. It was a nice, sunny day.

“Why do you ask?” the blonde continued with a smirk on his face.

Levi gave him a cold look. 

“I need a plus one for your goddamn wedding, unless you want me to just sit there and scare your guests away.”

Eld laughed and looked back at the clear sky. “Yeah, I can imagine. Anyway, even if she had someone, I’m sure she’d go with you either way. You know how she is.”

The idea of that made him feel annoyed. 

\---

Petra watched through the window as the last of her coworkers left the studio. 

She had to say she got pretty bored from waiting. She spent most of her time scrolling the internet on her phone or looking around, but she didn’t dare touch anything or look through his stuff. 

As expected, everything was clean, she didn’t know how he did that, but there wasn’t even a bit of dust on the shelves. How much of his free time this man did spend cleaning his house?

Finally, she took her stuff and went downstairs. She found Levi in his office. He was the only one with the privilege to work behind closed doors. 

Their eyes met and she sent him a smile. 

“I need to get something from the store across the street. If you’ll wait, I can ride you home.” he announced.  
She raised her eyebrows surprised. That was pretty unexpected from him. 

“Sure!” she said and moved aside as he passed her with the wallet in his hand. 

Petra went to the break room to pack her clothes from yesterday to her bag, and took care of unpacking her equipment that she had to take to the convention. 

She heard the ring of the opening door, so she stood up and went back to let him know she was ready to go. 

To her surprise, Levi wasn’t the one standing at the entrance. 

It was a duo of punks, with a very intimidating vibe to them. She noticed two motorcycles parked in front of the parlor. Petra was used to dealing with people like that, she made her way behind the counter, so she could see them better. 

“Yo!” said the girl already approaching her. Her two short ponytails were dyed dark pink. She was Petra’s height, leather jacked on her arms. “Is Levi there?’’

“He will be in a moment...but we’re already closed for today. Did you want to make an appointment?”

“No, I just want to talk to him” she said, firmly. Petra was taken aback by her behavior. 

The other stranger, a tall handsome blonde dressed in black got out of the studio and looked around. He didn’t seem to be in a good mood.

“Well... I guess you can wait here if you want.” 

Her gaze went back to the blonde standing behind the big windows of their studio. When she looked at the pink haired girl again, she met her judgmental stare. She just then remembered that she was wearing Levi’s clothes. Was it possible that the girl recognized them?

“I’ll…bring you two some tea.” she decided, confused, and went back to the back room. She was wondering if she should be worried. Not that the usual clients were all smiley and bubbly, but they definitely didn’t come here with such an attitude. The place was too luxurious for that. 

It took her some time, but when she brought the tea, the girl took it gladly. She somehow seemed to be in a better mood.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the movement of the doors, as Levi stormed into the room, a tense look on his face. 

“Petra, let’s go.” he said in a flat tone, catching her out of guard. 

“I’ll just grab my things.” she glanced quickly at the girl beside her and left them. 

‘So you have nothing to say?!’ she heard the girl’s voice. Silence was her answer. Petra didn’t know if she should apologize to them for his behavior or not. It felt strange, like she shouldn’t be there. She headed right to the exit. 

“It’s closed, get out.” Levi responded, grabbing the door that Petra just opened. He was avoiding looking at any of them. 

“You know what, you’re a real shithead!” the girl screamed and got out of the building angrily. Petra noticed a glimmer of tears in her eyes as she passed her, going straight to her bike. The other man was not as emotional. He only stared at her boss with a cold look on his face, as he was closing the parlor. 

Without saying another word, Levi grabbed Petra by her wrist and pulled her towards the car. 

\---

The drive to her house was spent mostly in silence. She gave him her address, and he apologized for pulling her like that when he noticed she was massaging her wrist. 

She considered asking him what was that whole situation about, but knowing him, he would probably not tell her anyway. Changing the subject was also weird, because the atmosphere was so heavy. 

“Thanks for the ride.” she said as she opened the passenger door. A small smile lightened her face. “See you tomorrow?” 

“Yeah.” he responded in his usual grumpy tone, not looking at her. 

She got out, took her bags and headed to the building. 

“Oi.” she heard and turned her head to see that he lowered the window at his side. 

“Do you want to go to Eld’s wedding with me?” 

She stood there, stunned, looking at him. The way he said it was so casual, she could hardly process it.

“Hell yeah!” she responded quickly, her trademark smile back on her face. 

“Good, I will text you the details.” he only said and drove away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayee! Thank you for reading another chapter!!  
> It took me some time but now, more or less, I know where I'm going with this.  
> There might be some brutal scenes in the future, but I think AOT fans are pretty immune to that, oof. 
> 
> I don't have any fun tips for you this time...  
> Maybe don't go to your sexy boss in the middle of the night.  
> He might forget about respecting your personal space. 
> 
> God, that sounds awful lmao. 
> 
> Please share your thoughts in the comments, it really brightens my day and motivates me to write more ♥


	4. He's a Good Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I've told you two not to look for me." He started, looking at the road in front of him. 
> 
> "And yet here we are." The blonde pointed out slowly. 
> 
> “Why now?”
> 
> There was a sigh before Farlan responded.
> 
> \---
> 
> Levi and Petra hang out with their friends.

Levi parked his car a few minutes away from the Parlor. He leaned against the seat and let out a slow breath. 

Adrenaline was still running through his veins. He was not prepared to see them again. It was too sudden.

He was angry at them. They shouldn't be here or anywhere around him. 

They were friends for as long as he could remember. Always together, always there for each other. 

They followed him anywhere he would go because they cared and put their trust in him. From living on the streets, to trying to get decent jobs, then stealing, even attacking some people for money and selling drugs at the side. It didn't sound like it , but for them, this life was good. They had each other, had money, home and a dangerous amount of courage to get anything they wanted. 

He'd do whatever he had to in order to protect them. 

One night was enough to destroy it all. 

It was one of those nights when he felt helpless. His life was stable, but he couldn't find happiness, a purpose to keep going. He hated that feeling, yet he couldn't do anything about it. 

He decided to try some of the new stuff they were supposed to sell soon. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. Just to stop the mental pain he couldn't stand anymore.

When his friends joined him, he didn't mind. It was not the first time they'd get high together. It was actually easier that way. 

And it was, it was great and life felt easy again, they laughed, and he was sure this is how it feels to be at peace. 

Then the morning would come and Farlan did not wake up. 

Levi remembered this like a set of short scenes cut from the movie. 

They carried him to the car, and he ordered Isabel to stay.

He ran to the hospital and basically forced one of the doctors to check him in right away. 

Farlan spent another 12 hours unconscious and Levi could do nothing but wait because he had no idea what the thing they had tried was made of. Vague answers weren't very helpful to the doctors. 

The moment his friend woke up was the biggest relief he had ever known. 

They came back home the same day at midnight, and he decided right there, and then they were done with this life. 

However, he was quickly reminded that it was easier said than done. 

Levi decided that they would focus on them first, while he carried on their unfinished businesses. 

They were able to find some decent jobs pretty quickly as both of them were great at all the social stuff he sucked at. 

He was sure that it would fix everything, but the guilt was still there. He couldn't quite give up on his underground life, as it was the only life he had known. He saw how much better his friends life's had become but each time he tried to follow them, he felt that he didn't deserve it. Not after all that he put them through. It was painful and it was eating him alive. They were worried about him, and it only made his guilt worse. 

It's been 3 years since he had told them to cut all ties and never contact him again. 

On one hand, he felt like a coward. Instead of getting his ass together and joining them in this new way of living, he ran away. 

On the other, however, it was a relief. He knew they were fully capable of living a good life now. They didn't need him anymore, and it was better for them.

It took him a year to find himself a new direction in life, far away from the city he grew up in and with people who had no idea who he was and what he'd done. 

\---

Seeing them now was painful. He'd panicked and didn't know how to react. But it was too late to run away again, and he knew that he had to deal with it.

This was his price for getting famous. 

He got out of the car. 

\---

Just as he thought, Farlan was still there, sitting on the curb in front of the building. He looked casual yet the sight looked impossible in Levi's eyes.

He slowly approached him and sat a few feet away.

Farlan was aware of his presence now but didn't look at him. He was just biting on his chocolate bar with a bored expression on his face. 

They sat there in silence until he finished. Levi was the first one to speak. 

"I've told you two not to look for me." He started, looking at the road in front of him. 

"And yet here we are." The blonde pointed out slowly. 

“Why now?”

There was a sigh before Farlan responded.

“Isa wanted a tattoo, and not a shitty one. You should be able to figure out the rest.”

“Where is the money for that coming from?”

“You really want me to punch you, don’t you?” the blonde finally looked at him. 

Levi rolled his eyes. 

“Just to be clear, she was the one who wanted to find you.” Farlan said and somehow, it hurt Levi more than he’d expected after all that he’d done. “She was nervous, yeah, but excited. You’re like a brother to her, you know. And when she finally could see you again, you told her to fuck off, basically.”

“Yeah, I’m a dick.”

“That’s nothing new. You don’t even know what we’ve been through after you left.”

“I don't” he agreed. “Are you together now, or something?”

“She’s a lesbian, Levi.”

“That kinda makes sense.”

\---

Petra run into the coffee shop and looked around. She was so happy she couldn’t even be mad at herself for being late. 

“Here!” She heard a familiar voice calling her and headed right to the table where Nifa and Rico were already waiting for her. 

“There she is.” commented the blonde watching her in her usual flat tone. 

“Hi! I’m sorry, I had kind of an unusual day and I totally forgot about our meeting.” responded Petra smiling widely. “As my humble apology, I will pay for your drinks.” 

“So, what was that ‘unusual day’ about?” asked Nifa and rested her head on her hand. 

“Ah-” Petra started but suddenly went silent. “It was...actually…”

The couple in front of her was looking at her waiting for an answer.

“Haha...I spent the night at the parlor. Actually at my boss’s flat upstairs.”

“...say what now?” said Rico after a short pause. 

“I mean, not like that. There was nothing between us, I mean, maybe a bit-”

“I can’t believe you’re falling for another man.” the blonde rolled her eyes and Nifa laughed placing a hand on her shoulder. 

“Don’t listen to her! It’s great that you’re finally over that jerk.” 

“Yeah, I guess.” Petra agreed and brushed her hair behind her ear a little awkwardly. “But really, it’s nothing. Yeah, he is amazing, and intimidating, and talente-”

“Petra, get to the point, don’t make me listen about a man.” Rico hurried her. 

“Yes, yes, ukhm… I fell asleep when we were talking at night, and he just let me stay there. And later I was too embarrassed to get out of there in front of the guys, so he let me stay even longer. He even borrowed me some fresh clothes. Like the clean freak he is. ” she laughed. “And later he got me a ride back home and invited me to go to our friend's wedding together.” she said with a dreamy look on her face. 

“Ahh, this is awful.” 

“No! That sounds great, Petra.” Nifa quickly added, patting her girlfriend's arm. “But you know, this time, if a man tries to do something bad to you, tell us. You understand? I’m sorry to say this but... You’re a magnet to toxic men.”

“Yes, I know. I’ve learned my lesson.” Petra sighed and her smile decreased a bit. “Don’t worry, guys, he is a bit grumpy, but he’s a good man, I’m sure.”

\---

“You should get yourself one, if you like it so much.”

Levi stopped staring at Farlan’s motorcycle and scowled at him. The other man sent him a sour smile. They just stopped in front of a bar in the city center. Levi refused to ride with him, so he just followed him in his car. 

Isabel was sitting at the bar with a colorful drink in her hand and a gloomy look on her face. 

They stopped just a few feet behind the entrance. 

“If you want to talk to her, go alone. I’m not dealing with your shit.” said Farlan while stretching his arms. 

Levi exhaled and went in her direction. He sat on the stool beside her and picked his hand to get the barman’s attention.  
“Just the usual.” he ordered in a low tone. Isabelle's head perked up, and she looked at him. She frowned and turned her head to the other direction. 

They were sitting in silence, both too stubborn to start the conversation. Levi decided it's time, when he got his beer and paid. 

“Nice jacket, I like the spikes.”

“Oh, shut up.”

He took a sip of his drink. 

“Listen.” he started, and it took him a moment to find the proper words. He was not good with those, but he wanted to be honest with her. “I’m sorry for today. But still, I cannot say I regret my decision.”

“Like I care…” she snickered.

“You don’t?” he turned his head towards her to examine the look on her face. She was biting her lips with a furrow between her brows. Her eyes were glossy, he could tell. 

“I don’t, you’re an asshole, and I’m glad I don’t have to see you every day.” she said, but her voice betrayed her with the shakiness. 

He closed his eyes and surrendered to her stupid act. When his hand ruffled her hair, she lowered her head.

“I hate you...you ass…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” he responded and after a moment took his hand back down. 

She sniffed loudly and raised her head to drink all of her drink at once. 

“I want to punch you so bad!” she said turning to him but then froze at the sight of his tired smile. 

\---

The Next morning, Petra came to work with a smile on her face. She greeted everyone by giving them their favorite coffees. She even bought some fresh snacks for their clients on her way to the studio. 

“Where is our dear captain?” she asked Auruo after giving him his latte. 

He pointed at Levi’s office. “He’s gonna tattoo today.”

“Seriously?” she asked, surprised. It was a rare occurrence lately, and what was even weirder is that she didn’t hear about it.

“You know, as I am obviously his favorite, he agreed to teach me the art of piercing but-”

“Yeah, yeah, we know.” she shushed him, tired of listening to that for the 5th time. 

“We know, you almost shit your pants before you got the courage to ask him.” Gunther added, sending him a smile. Auruo huffed, unbothered by their behavior while Eld let out a short laugh. They all knew his ego was colossal and never actually tried to insult his work, since it was actually really good. 

Petra, still in her coat, headed to the closed doors at the other part of the studio. She knocked and waited until she heard his permission to enter. 

“Hi Levi, I’ve got your favorite tea.” she announced coming in but stopped in her tracks at the sight of the girl she met yesterday. “Hi! I’m sorry, if I’d known you would be there too, I’d bring you something too. But I’ve got some cookies if you want.” she said happily. Even though she had no idea what their relationship was, she felt better knowing that whatever happened the day before was resolved. 

“Yeah, you will earn one if you decide on the fucking place already.” The dark-haired man said to the girl which pouted at him. Levi came closer to Petra and took the tea she brought him.

“Thanks. You can send me an invoice for that.”

“Stop, take it as a gift.” she ensured him and looked back at the pink haired girl. “Is it your first tattoo?”

“Yeah! And I want it big, but I don’t know where yet.” the girl responded loudly. She had the happiest expression Petra had ever seen. 

“Ah, that’s exciting! I’m sure you won’t regret it. I’ll bring you something to eat too then.”

And with that, she left. Levi went back to Isabel sipping on his tea.

“Your girlfriend is pretty cute, you know?” she pointed out, and he almost choked on his drink. 

“She’s not my girlfriend.” he responded shortly. 

“Huh? Maybe she will be mine then.” 

“Stop blabbering and pick the placement.” he grunted.

She laughed at him knowing what his reaction meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I will make this one longer, but I already had to cut the angst short, so it's just like the other ones ;D
> 
> I have so many ideas for subplots...  
> I mean, this is a slice of life fic, so there isn't really a main plot aside us waiting for Levi and Petra to get together-
> 
> I loved writing Farlan and Isabelle! They deserve the best. 
> 
> \---
> 
> Fun Fact:  
> I'm implementing at least one low-key vine (or tiktok sound) reference in every chapter. I'm not even doing it on purpose, it's just engraved in my mind.


	5. Things We Can't Explain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petra deals with a nightmare she was not prepared for.

Petra woke up in the middle of the night screaming. She could feel the cold sweat dripping down her back before she even realized she was sitting. Her heart was beating fast, as she reached for her phone with a sense of a panic she could not explain.

There was only one thing on her mind, she had to make sure he was safe.

White noise accompanied her when she waited for him to pick up.

“Hello?” Levi’s voice echoed inside her head and she couldn’t stop the tears.

“ARE YOU OK?!” she asked, not even aware that she was screaming.

“What? Why-”

She choked on her tears, trembling. 

“I’m so sorry, I couldn’t do it, I’ve failed you and…”

“Petra, what the hell is happening?” She could hear the anxiety in his voice. 

“I’m so scared.” she cried and abruptly ended the call. 

She fell back on her bed and covered her eyes with her forearm. She couldn’t think straight, she couldn’t even tell what was happening. All she knew was the strong emotions of panic, regret and fear. She felt like her head was about to burst. 

The ringing of her phone brought her back to reality. She didn’t check who was calling, she already knew. 

“Where are you?!” His tone was firm.

“I’m home.”

“Number?”

“Wh…what?” she asked quieter, having trouble thinking straight.

“What’s the number of your flat, stupid.” he hurried her up.

“It’s five.” she said and grit her teeth, holding back yet another wave of tears.

\---

Isabel and Farlan were both looking at him with surprised expressions when he turned around from the window in his apartment and put his phone back to his pocket. 

“I have to go, you two stay here.” He basically ordered them before they could even ask what was happening. 

“We can help, just-” Farlan started, but was cut short by Levi’s sharp stare. 

“Don’t.” he only said, before running down the stairs with his jacket in hand. 

\---

He drove way too fast on his way to her house. Fortunately, there were barely any other cars in the streets. Of course, he remembered her address despite being there only once. 

The amount of scenarios that were running through his head did not stop him from being composed. It was something he would learn throughout the years. To act, not to feel. 

One thing was certain, she was in danger and clearly couldn’t talk. Whatever it was, he felt it was somehow related to him, and with his questionable past, he couldn’t ignore it.

\---

She jumped out of her bed when she heard a creek of the door from the entrance to her house. Still deep in her unknown distress, she was brought back to reality. She never left her flat open. The moonlight coming through the window was the only source of the light in her room at the moment. Before she could decide on what to grab to defend herself, the burglar was already at her opened door. 

She gasped at the sight of the familiar face. 

“You’re-” she started agitated, but Levi shushed her coming closer. 

“Are you hurt? Is there somebody in the other room?” he asked quietly, staring intensely into her eyes. 

They were wide open. This could not be happening. She felt dizzy, like she was about to collapse. She steadied herself by holding his arms just above his elbows. She took a moment to respond. 

“I’m... I’m fine. I don’t think so, no.”

He was looking at her in disbelief. Petra released him from her grip. He had never seen her even close to the state she currently was in. It was hard for him to process what was happening.

“Why did you call me?” he asked, hiding the knife he was holding out of her view. He was quick to notice that she wasn’t fully awake. 

“I had this dream…”

“A dream?” The irritation started to arise within him.

“There was this forest and... I don’t know. I think I died.” she responded, looking down. 

He was about to reprimand her for scaring him like that and wasting his time, but he had noticed she was shaking and the new tears were running down her face. This was a very weird situation. They weren’t even that close, and he was shitty with girls crying on him like that.

“It was just a nightmare, go back to bed.” he said awkwardly, lowering his voice to not stress her anymore. Years of dealing with the overly emotional Isabel finally proved to be good for something.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and nodded. He had to direct her in the right direction before she actually moved. 

“And to think you had the audacity to call me a child.” he muttered, fixing her blanket when she got under it. 

It was a pain for him to see a bed in such a messy state.

\---

Petra let out an ugly grunt while sitting up on her bed in the morning. She had such a realistic dream, and it looked like it was the reason she felt so tired despite her sleeping for the whole night. She raised a hand to massage her nape a little. It didn’t hurt but something about it made her feel uneasy. 

She checked the time on her phone, and seeing that she still had plenty of it before going to work, she lazily got up. It was raining again, but at least it was still sunny.

She was startled by a noise coming from the kitchen. The first thing that came to her mind was that she’d had forgotten to close the window. 

She ran there, hoping it was not totally flooded by now. The moment she reached the room, she froze at the sight of a man standing on a chair and dusting the chandelier. He noticed her and frowned. It was clear that his face was judgmental, even though most of it was covered with a bandana. 

“I can’t believe you live like this.” he said looking down at her. 

She was out of words. 

“What are you doing in my house?” she asked with a terrified look on her face. 

He uncovered his face before giving her a response. 

“Making sure that you won’t cause me another heart attack.” he said without much emotion put into it. He noticed her questioning look, but was quickly distracted by her shirt that moved way too low when she was sleeping and revealed a big part of her cleavage. He tapped himself in the same place with his finger, just to let her know without mentioning it. 

She covered herself with a fast move and then realized that a huge part of her dream was not actually a dream at all. Her pale face went red.

“Oh my god. I am so sorry, Levi, I don’t even know... I can’t explain what has got into me.” she said, absolutely embarrassed.

“Yeah, that was crazy.” he agreed. It didn’t look like he was about to come down. “I’m not gonna lie, I had different plans than babysitting you.”

Petra leaned on the entrance and raised her hand to the bridge of her nose. 

“Can I...get you a coffee for that or something?”

“You bring me coffee for free.” he pointed.

She glanced at him with a look of resignation.

“Then how can I compensate for it?”

“I don’t know yet. I will let you know.” he decided and finally stepped down from the chair, so they were at the same eye level. She sighed. 

“Will you stay for breakfast, then?”

“I can.” he agreed and moved the chair back to its place.

\---

She wondered how he could act so casually in circumstances like that. It was the first time he was there, too. He was on his phone, head resting on his hand.

She put down a plate with scrambled eggs in front of him and sat down next to him.

“Wait, were you even sleeping?” She asked suddenly.

“Yes.” he just said and put his phone down beside the plate. 

“Where?”

“On the chair.”

Petra let out a sigh. 

“At least I’m not the only crazy one here.” she said, feeling maybe a bit too comfortable in his presence after what happened. 

There was no response, as he just started eating. 

“We have weird luck for strange encounters at night, huh?” she pointed out after a while, smiling to herself.

“What do you mean?” he looked up at her. 

“You know, last time you kind of made a pillow out of me.” She said, recalling that he rested his head on her shoulder the other night. “And now...well.” She spread out her hands a little, to show the situation they were in. 

He was looking at her with his intense stare. 

“What are you talking about?”

“Ahh-” She let out suddenly, realizing that he could’ve been too tired to remember that. “I phrased that wrong, forget about it.” She was fast to add. 

There was a frown on his face now. That was awkward. It sounded like some kind of harassment to him, as her boss, but she didn’t seem bothered. 

“If I do something wrong next time, just hit me.”

Petra couldn’t restrain a laugh. The sound of it calmed his nerves.

“It’s hard to imagine.” she said, amused.

\---

“Are you going to ask me to drop you off a street away or something?” He asked on their ride to the parlor. 

Petra tilted her head back and let out a light laugh. 

“No...I don’t want to cause you any more trouble.” she assured calmly. After all the embarrassment, the morning itself was really enjoyable. They chatted a little, she scolded him for breaking the lock to her house, he suggested that he would pay for the new one, but guilt got to her and they had a little fight over who would do that. He’d won. 

They were met with questioning stares of their friends, when they entered the studio. 

“Sorry! No coffee today.” Petra said, smiling, and went straight to the break room to leave her stuff there. Levi on the other side went straight towards the stairs. He didn’t say anything, but he was crawling out of his skin from not taking a shower all this time since yesterday. 

Just before he started going up, he noticed Eld’s amused look and stopped.

“What?”

“Nothing, sir.” he said fast and looked back at the computer screen on the desk in front of him. 

“Oi, if you have something to say, say it.” Levi stated, tired of this childish behaviour. 

“It’s nothing. I just noticed that a lot of things started to change since Petra joined us. I wouldn't say that's a bad thing.” he responded with a tone that couldn't give Levi a reason to get irritated. 

Dark haired man huffed, brushing it off, and headed to his apartment. 

\---

Petra was focused on the tattoo she was doing on some girls' backs, so she didn’t pay much attention when she heard that someone had entered the studio. She was just enjoying the warmness of the sun coming through the window and let herself get immersed in her work. 

“Hi there.” said Eld, standing up from the sofa where he was working on some new project and went to the counter to check the list of appointments. “Are you here to Auruo?”

“No. I’m here to make an appointment, actually.” the blonde girl said in a flat tone. 

Petra raised her head to look in their direction. 

“Rico!” she said loudly enough to startle the girl she was tattooing. She apologized quickly and only sent her friend a smile. This was a surprise for sure. 

Rico only looked in her direction and nodded her head as a greeting, then looked back at the man in front of her. She was wearing her business clothes, a beige colored women’s suit. “I want to talk with Levi.” she announced. 

“Hmm, you know, he doesn’t really do walk-ins. You will have to sent him an email with your idea first and-”

“Just let me talk to him, 5 minutes.” She cut him off and her way of speaking made him doubt if it was about tattoos at all.

“Ok, I will get him then.” he decided with a confused frown and went upstairs to knock on his door. 

Petra looked up again, but only for a moment. 

“You didn’t say you wanted one, I’d do it for you as a gift.” She let her know, but the blonde did not respond. She noticed the questioning look of Gunther and just shrugged at him. She was suspicious of her friend.

They heard the steps of two people going downstairs. Eld went right back to the sofa while Levi stopped at the last step. His hair was thrown back and still a little damp after the shower.

“So, it is you.” She said folding her arms. “I should’ve figured.”

“Rico Brzenska.” He said, stepping down. 

They were looking at each other with terrifyingly similar cold stares. Even Petra’s client tilted her head to see what was happening. 

She sighed and put one hand on the counter. 

“What do you want?” He asked.

“Bright as ever. I’m here to make an appointment.”

Levi raised an eyebrow and nodded in the direction of his office before heading there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't stop myself from referencing canon.  
> Was is just a dream or a memory of her past? Guess we will never know :")
> 
> Do you think the things are happening too fast?  
> If so...read slower please, I don't know how to change that (⊙_⊙;)


End file.
